


Full Circle

by GoodJanet



Category: Late Night Host RPF
Genre: Angst, Banter, Bleak, Dystopia, Friendship/Love, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Prostitution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 14:30:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9127798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodJanet/pseuds/GoodJanet
Summary: Tumblr Photo Prompt:It looks like amateurish porn every time I look at it.Jon and Stephen resort to shooting amateur porn when their histories of vocal dissent keep them from finding work during the Trump administration.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Link to post: good-janet.tumblr.com/post/155177229778/satan-night-live-mrsdondraper

Jon takes a few extra seconds for himself to just stand in the hallway to work up the nerve to enter. Things had be tough, to say the least, in the years since the inauguration, and getting work had never been more difficult since the president had banned any sort of political humor and rhetoric that didn’t 100% fall in line with the administration’s beliefs. Which meant money was hard to come by. Which led to entire other layers of economic issues.

The bottom line was, he needed this job. It was no surprise that the porn industry had not suffered any losses. And who didn’t love a new celebrity sex tape scandal? Although, Jon thinks “celebrity” was a bit of a misnomer at this point. Still, those tapes (also a misnomer) were huge money makers.

There was no point in delaying the inevitable. Jon opens the door, shuts it behind him, still lost in thought, and freezes.

“Stephen? What—what are you doing here?”

Stephen looks up from his phone and his eyebrow shoots upwards when his eyes confirm what his ear had heard.

“Um, I could ask you the same thing.”

Jon decides that rather than awkwardly standing in the doorway he should sit down on the couch next to Stephen. If things were gonna get weird, having Stephen by his side would mean they could at least go off into Crazy Town together.

“So, are you here to see Dominick, or…?”

“Yeah, uh.”—Stephen pauses and laughs uncomfortably.—“Yeah, I am.”

“Oh.”

Jon feels his face burn. He wipes his palms on his khakis. For the first time in years, he wishes he had a cigarette.

“You know, since I lost the show to Tomi Lahren, things haven’t been easy,” Stephen says after a moment of reflective silence.

He sounds defensive. As if Jon had any right to judge him when they were both there for the same reason.

“Stephen, I know you don’t want to do this. _I_ don’t want to do this.”

“Jon, no one who’s come through this office ‘wants’ to be here.”

Jon doesn’t think he’s ever heard Stephen sound so bitter before. It makes his chest ache, so he tries to get down to practicalities.

“Okay, so, is this a solo thing or am I gonna get paired off—How does this _work_ exactly? Like, how do I make this okay in my head, and how are you not freaking out right now? Jesus, Stephen, I don’t—”

Jon ask Stephen with his questions in rapid fire succession until Stephen finally takes Jon’s hands in his, which stops Jon in his tracks. He can’t remember the last time Stephen did that. Jon takes a deep, steadying breath.

“You’re going to be fine.”

And Stephen says it with such soulful sincerity that Jon is almost inclined to believe him. With Stephen looking at him like that, choosing to do this almost felt like the right thing to do. Almost “almost.”

Before Jon can speak, the door to the studio opens. It’s Dominick himself.

“Alright, Colbert, you’re on, and then it’s your little friend here. Let’s get you out of those clothes and onto set. They’re waiting for ya.”

Jon and Stephen share a look.

“Whoa, am I interrupting a moment here? This is nice. Very nice. That chemistry is very real. Hey, you know somethin’…”

The way he trails off while staring at them makes Jon’s stomach bunch up in knots. He self-consciously pulls his hands out of Stephen’s grasp. But it was too late; the over-gelled man in the ill-fitting blazer had already formulated some no doubt filthy tableau in his mind if the way he eyed them was any indication.

“You know something?” he repeats. “People would _love_ to see the two of you back together again.”

“I don’t think—” Jon starts to say, but Stephen puts his feet flat on the floor and digs his fingers into Jon's thigh, which stops him short.

“What are you suggesting?” Stephen asks.

“I’m suggesting that we scrap the original shoot ideas and do a double feature instead. Fuck's sake, people have been wanting to see you bang since ’99. We could call the thing _Coming Full Circle_. Come on, it’s gold!”

“Can Jon and I talk it over? It’s a big ask.”

“Right, right, sure,” Dominick says in a way that couldn’t be any more patronizing. “Just knock on the door when you’ve made your decision.”

“Stephen, no. That-that’s crazy.”

“Would you rather fuck a stranger? Or have a stranger fuck you? You won’t be able to detach any more easily if you don’t know the person.”

Stephen swallows hard and his hands ball into fists as though he were ready to fight someone. Jon hopes that those feelings aren’t being directed at him.

“Hey. It’s okay.” Stephen faces him again and some of the tightness in his face dissipates. This time, Jon takes Stephen’s hands into his own. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. And let’s face it, we’re still better off than most. A job’s a job, right?”

“Even if it’s a handjob,” Jon quips.

Stephen laughs, and it makes Jon feel a little better.

“You’ve been training your whole adult life for this moment, Jon. It’s your time to show America what you can do!” Stephen says.

“Right, just like America is interested in seeing if your oral fixation extends outside the realm of pens and pencils.”

They both laugh for a moment before sobering up again.

“Are we really gonna do this?” Jon asks, providing Stephen with an out if he wanted one. And hell, providing _himself_ with one too.

It wasn’t too late for them to both walk out and pretend this had never happened.

“I need the money, Jon.”

Fuck. Right.

“Okay. If you’re serious, then okay. Let’s do this.”

Stephen half-smiles at him.

“You still remember which side is my good side, don’t you?” Stephen asks.

They stand.

“Stephen, every side of you if your good side.”


End file.
